Hugh’s Fish Fight - The Battle Continues

Six months after launching his hugely influential campaign to change the way we fish, Hugh Fearnley-Whittngstall returns to our screens tonight (9.00pm, channel 4) to bring the story up to date. I can't wait…


For more info watch the campaign video
or to sign-up, visit the fish-fight website

Leftovers another day…

I love putting something together from the edible remains of tea from the day before. So I tend to prepare a little more than is needed when doing a Sunday lunch. Extra vegetables tend to be fried together with the leftover mash to make a Monday night bubble and squeak, lovely with a couple of sausages and some re-heated gravy. The most famous dish of leftovers has to be the humble shepherds pie made with Sundays roast lamb. I’ve never had the privilege of making mine this way as there never seems to be any leftovers of the best roast meat known to man*  

More often than not I like to buy a slightly larger chicken than is needed. Once the leftover meat has been stripped from the bird I can then make a nice stock for a Monday night chicken soup or risotto. The carcass together with a couple of carrots, an onion, stick of celery, some peppercorns and a bay leaf or two are thrown into a pot with a litre or so of water and left to simmer away while we get on the dishes.

*Just my humble opinion of course.

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

Enough for 2

Peel and finely chop 1 onion, a stick of celery and a garlic clove then fry slowly in a little olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add 200g arborio rice and a pinch of dried thyme, stir over a medium heat to combine everything. After a minute or two add a splash of white wine and allow it to bubble away before slowly adding your hot chicken stock. Add a ladle at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding the next. This should take 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile fry 150g mushrooms in a little oil and butter, put these aside for later. Chop or shred your leftover chicken and add to the risotto with the last ladle of stock to warm through. Once cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the mushrooms with a knob of butter a good handful of grated parmesan. Put a lid on the pan and let the risotto ‘rest’ for a couple of minutes before serving.

Hugh’s Fish Fight

HALF OF ALL FISH CAUGHT IN THE NORTH SEA ARE THROWN BACK OVERBOARD DEAD.

In his new campaigning series, shown on channel 4, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall investigates the plight of the world's diminishing fish stocks. He asks why so much fish is thrown back into the sea dead, why so little of the UK catch is sold here and explores the supermarket claims about the fish they sell.

To support the campaign please sign up here: http://www.fishfight.net

Beef and winter vegetable stew

It’s winter, it’s cold and it’s snowing and all I want to eat is a big bowl of comfort food. Last night we had a big bowl of beef and root vegetables that I’d made the previous day. Stew’s, soups and casseroles always seem to taste even better when warmed up and served the next day.

Any roots will work well in a slow-cooked stew, carrots and swede were just what I had in at the time. Do try and include some butternut squash if you can though, as when it beaks down it helps to thicken the stew and the gravy tastes amazing because of it.

Preheat your oven to 150°C

Peel and chop 1 onion and a stick of celery and fry slowly in a large casserole dish with a glug of olive oil. Meanwhile peel 2 or 3 carrots half a swede and half a butternut squash, slice into chunks and add to the onions. Add a generous pinch of black pepper and some dried thyme.

While the vegetables are cooking place 500g cubed stewing steak into a bowl with 2 tablespoons of plain flour (cornflour if the wife is reading this). Mix together until the meat is well coated and add to the vegetables discarding any excess flour. Pour in 500ml of beef stock and bring to the boil, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the dish and place in the oven for 2 - 2½ hours.

If the meat falls apart when you show it a fork then the stew is done. Serve it with some green cabbage, kale or crusty bread. 

Recipe Journal: for those who love to cook

Moleskine, creators of the classic black notebook, have now created a selection of journals to help you gather, preserve and share your passion in your own creative way. With a range including books, films and music it was obviously the 'food passion' that whetted my appetite.

The recipe journal consists of 6 themed sections to fill in with your favourite appetizer, first course, main dish, side dish, dessert or cocktail. There are also 6 sections for you to personalise as well as information pages with food calendars, food facts and conversion charts.

In typical Moleskine style, the journal is bound in a classic black embossed cover and comes with a set of stickers for you to play around with.

I'm always scribbling down recipe ideas on scrap bits of paper, I've got a kitchen drawer full of them. Maybe this is just what I need to keep myself a little more organised in the kitchen...